Last week Sara came to see me in my private practice. Sara had that spaced out, frazzled look. She said, "I want my life back. It's only the first week of summer and I'm ready for school to start." Sara really didn't want school to start,...
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I am from Texas and yes I do have a cowboy hat. I don't wear it all the time but you never know when I might feel the urge to wear it. There is a certain feeling and persona I feel when I wear a...
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The last month of school can get crazy. Many of you have been living your lives at 100 miles per hour with all of the end of the year activities. Your daughter thought that summer would never come, and the finals and projects would never stop....
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Summer is around the corner but first you have to get through projects, papers, finals--oh my. This is not only challenging for your daughter but it is challenging for you because your daughter is stressed. Stress is contagious and if you are not intentional you will...
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How many of you worked on Mother's Day? Probably most of you did. It's great to get the cards, flowers, and be taken to lunch or dinner. It's wonderful to be appreciated for all that you do. But it's not enough. Here's why. I know that most moms are...
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Defining success is a tricky, especially when it comes to your teenager. If I asked you if your daughter or son was successful what would you say? Would your daughter say she is successful? These are uncomfortable questions for both you and your daughter. Here's why. This culture...
Read MoreToday is a continuation of last week's article "Sometimes a Manicure Won't Cut It: What Mothers Need to Feel Good." It's extremely challenging for mothers to pay attention to their needs. Here is what we tell ourself. It's selfish to focus on yourself Family comes first but your...
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Do you wonder why you are not enjoying your life? You wanted to be a mother. On paper it looked good. You have the house, kids, work, and the husband (or no husband). You have food in the refrigerator. You tell yourself, "There are so...
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Today we are going back to the basics. If you want your daughter feeling her best emotionally and physically she needs to maintain a healthy diet. This means that she starts her day with a healthy breakfast; this would not be a doubleshot expresso. She would...
Read MoreI wrote this article 3 years ago while I was a resident mom for a 3 week international summer dance intensive in Pittsburgh. My daughter who was 15 years old at the time was too young to stay in the dorm by herself. The only...
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Do you believe in a mother's intuition? If you do believe in this intuition, do you act on it? This week I have talked to several confused and distraught mothers. Though each situation was different they had one common denominator. These mothers dismissed their intuition and...
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"We get along great on vacations!" I can't tell you how many times I have heard this in my private practice. Why is it, that families (and couples) who fight all the time at home, can enjoy each other on vacations? The answer is STRESS. The Conspiracy of...
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One of the quickest ways to connect with your daughter is through laughter. But let's be honest. Does your daughter's silliness and playfulness drive you nuts sometimes? You want her to be serious about...
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Have you ever complained, "My husband won't stop and ask for directions." Then you go on to say, "We wasted an hour driving all over town. If we had stopped--it would have taken us 5 minutes and we'd been there on time." But moms, we're guilty...
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Have you ever felt the wall? You know the wall between you and your daughter. It's obvious when the wall is up. It feels icy. She glares at you. She walks past you in the hall. She is walled off in her room. You force her to talk...
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It can get really complicated parenting a teenage girl. That's why parenting techniques often feel insufficient and ineffective. It was definitely easier to discipline when she was little. If your little princess didn't want to clean her room you could give her a choice. "Sweetie, I'm...
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I am taking an online defensive driving course. I could say I am taking the course because I wanted to lower my car insurance, which is partially true. But the truth is, I was speeding and got a ticket. There you have it. The secret...
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You are just trying to be helpful and you say, "You aren't going to learn anything if you are on facebook, texting, and watching You Tube videos while you are trying to study for your test." You go on to say, "If you want to...
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I am not a morning person. It's 7:30 am and I am getting my annual Mammogram at the Woman's Hospital. Babs was giving me my Mammogram and she was very talkative. She definitely did her job and kept me completely distracted with her philosophy of life. It was...
Read MoreMy daughter is so stubborn. She argues about everything She won't listen to anything I say If I say one thing, she blows a gasket I'll ask her about her day and all she says is fine. She's so disrespectful. It's like she's in her own little world Do any of these...
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